Various types of apparel have previously been utilized by pregnant women in order to alleviate problems associated with a growing uterus which accompanies pregnancy. Such problems include back pain, discomfort from pelvic pressure, and the development of incorrect posture, together with attendant and associated difficulties.
Back ache arises because during pregnancy, the usually stable joints of the pelvis begin to loosen up to allow easier passage for the baby at delivery. This, along with an oversized abdomen, throws a woman's body off balance. To compensate, the woman tends to bring her shoulders back and thrust her neck forward. Standing with her belly thrust forward compounds the problem. The result is a deeply-curved lower back, strained back muscles, and pain.
As pregnancy progresses, the woman's center of gravity changes as her weight and shape change. As the center of gravity moves further forward, lower back muscles must work harder to support the spine since stomach muscles are already distended. As her abdomen enlarges, the woman may try to compensate by leaning backward to correct her balance, especially when walking.
Other problems associated with pregnancy include frequent urination. One reason for this is the higher volume of body fluids and the improved efficiency of the kidneys, which helps rid the wonam's body more quickly of waste products. Another problem arises from the pressure of the growing uterus, which is located in the pelvis next to the bladder. The need to urinate frequently is often accompanied by difficulties associated with removing undergarments.
As a temporary relief to problems associated with back pain and uterine weight, a pregnant woman often adopts a hands clasping stance. In this position, the woman joins her hands by intertwining her fingers below the uterus and exerts upward pressure on the uterus through the wrists and arms toward her shoulders. Additional temporary measures include the pregnant woman adopting a stance where her hands are placed across her back at the waist in an effort to relieve lower back pain. These measures, however, at best afford only temporary relief.
Conventional approaches to the above problems are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,462,195; 2,905,947; and 3,694,816.